Fire-escape.



C. A. BRICKEL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2l| I914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- HE NORRIS PETERS CO4, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING TON, D. Cv

C. A. BRICKEL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2|. 1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- f'fi 24 2.5"

THE NORRIS PETERS f0" PHOTO-LITHO., WA HINUIUN, D) C.

CHARLES A. BRIGKEL, OI? NEILSONVILLE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, CHAR ES A. BRIGKEL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Neilsonville, in the Provinceof Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto an improved fire escape mechanism in which thevelocity of descent is determined by the person who is descending.

An object of the invention resides in an improved means which isassociated with the escape in order to accurately rewind the cable onthe drum after the-person has descended, so that the convolutions willlie snugly in engagement with each other; a tensioning element beingassociated with the rewind means for holding the cable taut, tofacilitate rewinding.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved carrier forthe person who is to descend, the latter in the present instance beingmade of leather straps which engage the body of the person descending,so as to positively prevent his orher equilibrium from being disturbedduring descent.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a suitablemechanism which can be readily associated with an article of furnitureor the like in the room from which the person is desiring of escaping,

Without the use of tools, nails, screws or any other analogousinstrumentalities. Otherobjects as well as the nature, characteristicfeatures and scope of my invention will be more readily understood fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of thisspecification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedfire-escape, illustrating the application thereof, Fig. 2 is an invertedside elevational view of my improved fire escape, showing to advantagethe means for facilitating the rewinding of the cable on the drum, Fig.3 is an end elevation of the same looking at the opposite end from thatshown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4L-lof Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,Fig. 6 isa perspective View of the crank for actuating the cableSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915 Application filed April 21,191. Serial No.833,557.

drum in order to rewindthe cable thereon, and likewise to regulate thevelocity of descent of the person who is being carried by the cable, andFig. 7 is a detailed enlarged sectional view of the means forfacilitating the rewinding of the cable on the drum, the cabletensioning bolts being shown disengaged therefrom.

In the drawings wherein is shown the preferred form ofthis invention,acasing 5 is provided WhlCll in the present instance comprises a pair ofdisks 6, the latter being connected by bolts 7, one of saidbolts beingin engagement with a supporting member 8, which in the present instancecomprises a wire strand, the opposite ends of which are looped and theintermediate portion thereof depressed to provide a substantially U-shaped structure. A second disk 9 is slidably mounted on the rods 7, inproximity to one of the disks 6, for a purpose which will subsequentlyappear.

In order to illustrate the application of the invention, a bed 10 isshown in Fig. l, which is represented as being carried on an upper floorof the building 11, the bed be ing engaged by the hook 12, although thelatter, if desired may be secured to any other object in the room whichwould be suflicient 14;, the latter being revolubly mounted between thedisk 9 and one of the disks 6 as shown to advantage in Fig. 2, said drumhaving wound thereon a cable 15, the latter having one end thereoffixedly secured to the periphery of the drum and the opposite endrext'ending beyond the casing 5 and into engagement with the bedengaging hook 12.

One end of the shaft 13 is squared, as llldl',

cated at 16 and is provided in each side thereof with a recess 16,saidshaft 13 being squared in order to facilitate the actuation of the drum14 for rewinding the cable 15 thereon and likewise regulate the velocityof descent when the crank hereinafter de-,

scribed is, associated therewith.

In the furtherance'of one of the abovedrum 14:, I have provided aplurality of,

studs 17 on one face of the disk 9, each of which has encircled, thereona coil spring 18. In conjunction with this formation and V I la disk 19,the disk 9 is held in engagement With one end of the drum 14, therebyyieldwhich is engaged with one end of the drum' ingly engaging said diskwith the drum when pressure is exerted on the disk by the setscrews 20,the latter having engagement with one of the disks 6 and into engagementwith the disk 19. i It is obvious there'- fore that'the disk 9 serves asa brake-shoe 14:, thereby regulating the speed of rotation of the latterfor performing the desired functionl Bolts 21 are carried by the disk 9andeXtend through the disks 6 and 19 in order to'retain said latterdisks in a predetermined position. 1

To thoseskilled the art to'whichthis invention appertains, it is wellknown that ing the rotation of the drum thereby pre-' in rewinding thecable on the drum, that considerable difiiculty is very often experienced by the cable becoming entangled dur- V venting the accurateengagement of the cable with the drum to permit successive'operationsfor carrying the occupant of the building to the earth. Inorder to eliminate the undesirability of the cable being entangledwhile'rewound, I have in the present instance provided an element generallydesignated 22' which comprises a pair of parallel plates, each of whichis provided with an opening in its opposite ends through which the rods7 are engaged to permit sliding of the plate on said rods. Said plateshave mounted; therebetween studs 24 which snugly engage the convolutionson the outer.

periphery of thedrum 14; During the rewinding of the cable on'the drum,the same is. held taut at all" times in the opening 26 throughthe'medium of a tensioning bolt 27,

the latter having encircled around the shank thereof a spring 28 inorder to'normally hold one end of the bolt 27 in the opening 26, saidopening 26 communicating with an opening 29 in which the bolt 27 isslidably mounted, the latter provided with studs 30 which engage incorresponding slots in the block 25, in'orderito' prevent thedisplacement of the bolt. 27 while it is passing through its opening 29with the cable 15 which passes throughthe opening 26. I

The drum 14' is rotated through the medium of a crank '31 which isprovided with a squared opening 32' complemental to the 7 square, shank'16 of the shaft 13, said crank bein'gxfurther provided with a pluralityof squared} openings 33 which are adapted for engagement with thevarious other nuts of the mechanism, in order to tighten or release thesame as desired. This crank in the present instance comprises a metallicbar, one end of which is turned at right angles to the body and roundedin order to facilitate the operation thereof, the free terminal of saidright-angled portion being provided with one of the squared openings 33in order to adapt the same for use on nuts of the elongated type, or ofthe bolt heads. A set screw 31 is mounted in the head of the wrench andadapted to engage through the openings 32 and with the recesses 16' onthe squared end 16 of the shaft 13, so as to positively prevent thedisengagement of the crank from said squared shank 16, during descent,which is necessary at all times, during the transporting of the personfrom the building to the earth, that control of the crank should be had,in order to regulate the velocity of descent. The carrier mechanism bywhich the person is conveyed from the building to the ground in thepresent instance comprises a plurality of interconnected straps 34 whichare engaged by buckles 35, thereby permitting the adjustment of thestraps, so as to fit persons of different sizes. The carrier member hasmounted thereon a hook 36 by which it is detachably engaged with a ring37, the latter depending from the member 8, as advantageouslyillustrated in Fig. 1.

In operation, we will assume that the device is positioned as shown inFig. 1. In

j this position, the screws 20 are normally retalned 111 a predeterminedposition, so as to exert sufiieient pressure against the end of the drum14: to hold the latter from rotating while the person enters thecarrier. To descend, the crank 31 is placed on the squared end' 16 ofthe shaft 13 and the set-screw 31 engaged in one of the recesses 16thereby positively'preventing the accidental displacement of the crankas previously pointed out. The

person desiring to descend then engages the strap 35 about his or herbody and disengages the bolt 27 of the opening 26 allowing the cable 15to freely pass in said opening 26, permitting the occupant of thecarrier to descend at the desired rate of speed to the earth. cable 15on the drum, pressure is exerted on the shaft 13 by the crank 31, duringwhich operation, the disks 9 may be entirely disengaged'from the drum14: so as to allow for the free rotation of the latter, the cable beingaccurately wound on the drum 14: in View of the member 22, the functionof which has been heretofore described. The cable after having beenentirely wound on the drum being held in a taut position by engaging thebolt 27 through the opening 29 and into the opening 26 through which thecable passes.

' If a second party is desirous of descending,

When it is desired, to rewind the the entire mechanism is pulled up bythe cable 15 to the room from which the previous party has escaped. Thescrews 20 are then tightened, thus leaving the drum 14 free to rotate byapplying the crank 31 and engaging the bolt 27 through the opening 29into engagement with the cable 15, so that the cable will be accuratelyrewound on the drum, when the crank is operated. The screws 20 are thenreleased thereby locking the drum 14: and the bolt 27, then disengagedfrom the cable 15 and the mechanism is ready to transfer the next partyto the earth.

It will be understood that theabove descriptionand accompanying drawingscomprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention andthat various minor changes in details of construction, proportion andarrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claimsand without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A fire escape including a frame, a drum revolubly mounted in saidframe, a cable wound on said drum having one end engaged therewith andthe opposite end adapted to extend beyond the frame, means forregulating the speed of rotation of said Copies drum including a diskfrictionally engaged with one end of the drum having studs extendingfrom one face thereof, elastic elements associated with said studs, adisk engaged with said elastic elements for holding said first mentioneddisk in yielding engagement with the drum, and set-screws extendingthrough said frame and having engagement with said second mentioned diskfor regulating the tension of said elastic elements for the purposespecified.

2. A fire escape including a frame, a drum revolubly mounted in theframe, a cable one end of which is in connection with said drum and theopposite end adapted for association with a person descending, afriction disk carried by the frame and engageable with one end of thedrum, means directly connected with said disk and extending through saidframe to hold said disk in a predetermined position for obtaining aminute adjustment of the disk, and means in yieldable connection withsaid disk, to permit slight movement of the latter when pressure isexerted on the cable for imparting movement to the drum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. BRICKEL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES CAMPBELL, ROBERT J. KRAMPFF.

of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

